It seems that the majority of cameras that are bought every day are digital cameras.

I would divide different digital cameras into 6 groups:

Group one – entry level digital cameras with low price. These cameras usually have 4-7 MP light sensors. 4-7 MP is necessary and sufficient for family photos. These cameras usually have 3-4x optical zoom. You can use fully automatic preset or use preprogrammed scene presets (beach, snow, night, portrait …) for taking photos in different conditions. One thing that you don’t need is a digital zoom. It does not matter how much digital zoom different cameras can use. It is better not using digital zoom at all. You can always enlarge photos digitally later with your photo editing software.

Group two – medium priced, a bit more advanced digital cameras. These cameras usually have 7-8MP sensors and 3-5X optical zoom. You can use fully automatic preset or use preprogrammed scene presets (beach, snow, night, portrait …) for taking photos in different conditions. One thing that you don’t need is a digital zoom. You can always enlarge photos digitally later with your photo editing software.

Group three – digital cameras with higher price but with a specification that is valuable and unique in some way. There are waterproof cameras (Olympus mju 790 SW) and cameras with stylish and unique design. One good thing to look for is mechanical image stabilization. Some digital cameras have optical zoom up to 20X (Olympus SP 570 UZ) and this is really powerful magnification.

Group four – entry level Digital SLR. These are good to start using and learning DSLR cameras. You have the possibility to change lens plus many manual settings. At the moment entry level DSLR cameras start at 6MP, some newer cameras have 8-10MP already.

Group five – medium priced Digital SLR cameras for photo amateurs and photo enthusiasts.

New technologies that are being used in this group are mechanical image stabilization and dust removal technologies. Better camera sensors with higher light sensitivity and less noise. Less noise means better image quality when using higher ISO settings. Medium priced DSLR cameras may have live preview option.

Group six – professional Digital SLR cameras are usually for people who make living with photography. Ergonomically designed, bigger and weatherproof camera bodies. Top technology and advanced camera settings. More auto focusing points = faster focusing. Better camera sensors than in previous groups.